Perfect Life
by tellheart
Summary: From the outside looking in, Gabby had the perfect life. A great fiancé, Matt, their son Louie and family and friends who loved her dearly. But her journey to happiness did not come without hardships. Gabby had dealt with her fair share of pain and heartache, and just as everything was falling into place again, a terrible incident threatens to derail her sense of security and joy.
1. My Little Family

Author's Note: First, let me just start off by saying I absolutely LOVE Chicago Fire. I'm a huge Dawsey fan who discovered Fanfiction a few years ago and I've been hooked ever since. There are some amazingly talented writers on here, and even though Dawsey's on-screen relationship has come to an end, which was absolutely devastating for me, it's great to know that fans have an outlet to share their work, which will allow Dawsey's story to continue in some way or another.

I started writing this story two years ago. I'd always intended to get back to it but that same year I started my post-grad and things got pretty crazy. Long story short, life got in the way. Anyway, I've had these ideas floating around in my head lately and I decided to pick up where I left off. I'm not quite sure where I want this story to go or how long it will be…I'll just go with the flow I suppose.

* * *

 **Perfect Life: Chapter One - My Little Family**

Gabriela Dawson had the perfect life. A stable career as the PIC on Ambo 61 at Firehouse 51 working alongside her Lieutenant fiancé Matthew Casey; an adorable son Louie whom they'd adopted; wonderful friends and two loving families, her blood family and her firehouse family who loved her dearly.

From the outside looking in, her life seemed perfect, however, Gabby's journey to happiness did not come without its hardships. From finding the strength to leave an abusive relationship to the death of her best friend Shay, Gabby had dealt with her fair share of pain and heartache. And just as everything was finally falling into place again, her troubling past would soon catch up to her, rearing its ugly head and threatening to derail her joy and happiness.

It was an ordinary evening, Gabby had taken Louie out for dinner. Matt had a construction job across town and made plans to catch up with some old friends for drinks afterwards so he wasn't able to join them. It was nice out, so Gabby opted to walk instead of take the car.

In addition to its close proximity to the firehouse, Gabby and Matt picked this neighbourhood particularly because it was safe and had many great shops and restaurants within walking distance to their apartment.

Dinner with Louie was pretty relaxing. Gabby loved being able to spend time with her son. Louie was on his best behaviour and was so proud of himself for finishing his entire meal. "Look Mama, I finish," he boasted with a smile and Mac N' Cheese sauce plastered all over his face and shirt.

"I see that. Good job big boy" Gabby responded, giving her son a smile.

What do you say we get you cleaned up and head home. Mama will run you a bubble bath so you can play a little before bed. OK?

After paying the bill and getting Louie cleaned up, the two made their way home through the quiet neighbourhood.

Once home, Gabby ran Louie a bubble bath and decided to give Matt a quick call on FaceTime.

Louie splashed around in the tub as Gabby spoke to Matt. "Vroom, vroom, vroooooom," was all Matt heard when the call connected.

"Someone's having fun," said Matt.

"Yeah, I just put him in the tub." Gabby looked over at Louie who was playing with his cars. "We just got in from dinner not too long ago. Louie finished his entire plate of food!"

 _*Gasp*_ "Did you?" said Matt as Gabby turned the phone towards Louie so he could see his father.

"I did!" said Louie, looking up from his cars.

"You're getting to be such big boy aren't you?"

"Yeah, I eat so I big and strong just like Daddy," he smiled.

Louie's remarks made Gabby's heart flutter. She just loved her little family.

"How are you doing, baby? asked Matt.

"I'm doing good," said Gabby, exhaustion evident in her voice.

"As for baby," she placed a hand on her stomach, rubbing her small 11-week bump. "Baby is also doing well. We have our 12-week checkup next week."

"I know. I can't wait to see my son."

"Babe, how do you know it's a boy? They haven't even told us the sex yet."

"I just have a feeling," Matt said in response with a smile.

"Whatever you say, Matthew Casey." Gabby smiled and she continued to rub her small bump.

"I'll miss you three tonight," he stated with a slight frown. Since Matt was across town and knew he'd be out later than usual, he decided to book a hotel room for the night to avoid driving home too late.

"I know, but we'll be ok. You haven't seen your old friends in a while. It'll be good for you to hang out and catch up with each other. We'll be fine, promise."

"I know. It's just hard to be away from my family," he admitted.

"We'll see you in the morning, babe. Go have fun."

"See you in the morning, Daddy," Louie chimed in.

Matt let out a chuckle. "I'll see you in the morning buddy. Love you"

"We love you too," said Gabby.

With that, Matt proceeded to get ready for his night out, taking a quick shower before getting dressed.

After Louie's bath, Gabby got him changed into some fresh pajamas. "Ok, big boy. All set for bed?"

"I brush my teeth first, Mama," he said.

"Do you want Mama to help you?"

"No, I do it," said Louie as he scurried into the bathroom.

It seemed like Louie was gaining more and more independence each day. Gabby and Matt couldn't believe how quickly he was growing up before their eyes.

After successfully getting Louie down for the night, Gabby started getting ready for bed also. She washed her face, changed into one of Matt's old T-shirts and put her hair into a messy bun. She checked to make sure everything was locked before heading into her bedroom. At ten O'clock, it was a relatively early night for her, but since Matt was spending the night out she decided to head to bed early to get some extra sleep.

* * *

The apartment was peaceful. Louie had started to sleep in his bed like a big boy, which Gabby and Matt were thrilled about.

Gabby was in deep sleep when suddenly there was a hand over her mouth. She tried to fight but the moment she started to kick and move around she felt another set of hands on her. These ones were holding down her arms and legs.

 ** _That's it for Chapter One. Stay tuned for more and feel free to leave a review._**


	2. Pinch Me

**Chapter Two – Pinch Me**

"Get off me!" Gabby tried to yell. Her screams for help were muffled. As she fought against her two attackers, she managed to kick some objects off the nearby nightstand; glass from a picture frame shattering into pieces.

A photograph of her, Matt and Louie lay broken on the floor; their smiling faces covered in shards of glass.

"Matt," she whimpered.

* * *

 _ **Across town**_

Matt walked into the crowded bar, immediately spotting his friends, Damien and Ben.

"Hey buddy," his friend Damien waved him over. "It's good to see you."

"Damien, Ben! It's great to see you guys."

Damien, Ben and Matt were long-time friends. They grew up in a small suburb about an hour and a half outside of Chicago. After finishing College, Matt set his sights on the CFD, moving to the big city to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter.

With life and their careers taking them in different directions, it had been a while since the group had gotten together. They had a lot of catching up to do.

The bartender walked over, giving Matt a friendly smile. "Hi, what can I get for you?"

"I'll have a beer, thanks," he responded.

"So, how are you guys? asked Matt as he settled in.

The three men fell into a comfortable conversation, discussing all things life; growing up back home, their relationships, careers and more.

"Her name is Gabby. We have a son together, Louie who we adopted." Matt took out his phone and showed them pictures of his family. "Every now and then I have to pinch myself. I don't know how I got so lucky."

"Oh, have you gotten soft on us, bud?" Ben teased with a grin.

Matt playfully shoved Ben's shoulder, reciprocating the grin.

"It's just, I never really pictured myself in a stable, loving relationship," he began. "I guess I was terrified of messing things up with her because…well, you know, I haven't really have the best track record given my past relationships. Not to mention, my parents weren't exactly a model couple either."

Both Damien and Ben knew all too well about Matt's rough upbringing. His parents constantly fought and degraded one another; it wasn't pretty. Unfortunately, Matt's own relationships suffered as a result as he got older.

"I was probably at my worst when I was with Hallie," he recalls.

"Everything was good for a while…Hallie and me. We were solid. It took some time for us to get there but we did. We loved each other, had great careers, but somehow that wasn't enough."

Matt wanted kids, Hallie didn't. It hadn't started out that way, though.

In the beginning of their relationship, they both talked about wanting kids and starting a family, but two and a half years in something changed.

"I thought maybe she just wasn't ready and I respected that, but as time went on I realized we both wanted different things," said Matt as he took another swig of his beer and thought back to their breakup.

 _ ***Flashback***_

" _Hallie, can you come over here for a minute?"_

 _Things in their relationship had definitely changed. They were slowly growing apart and it was very evident._

" _What's up?" said Hallie as she plopped down beside him on the couch. She inspected her fingernails and made a mental note that she'd have to pay the nail salon a visit that week._

" _I can't keep doing this, Hallie. We can't keep doing this"_

" _Doing what?" she responded as she looked up and made eye contact with him._

" _Pretending like everything is ok when it's not. What are we doing?"_

 _Hallie sat in silence, a bit confused._

" _I want a family, Hallie. You know that. I've said it since the beginning. We talked about it."_

" _Not this again," she thought to herself._

 _Selfishly, she'd hoped to avoid having this conversation again since she voiced her lack of interest in motherhood a few months ago, not once but twice._

 _She felt it too, though; the strain in their relationship. Unlike Matt, she thought that whatever it was could be fixed. She was wrong._

 _Hallie broke her silence. "I don't want kids, Matt. I told you that already," she responded in frustration, her tone slightly elevated._

" _Yeah, I know but I thought maybe…" before he could finish he was cut off._

" _What, change my mind?" Hallie responded._

" _Would it be such a bad thing, Hallie? People change. I mean, you should know."_

" _What's that supposed to mean?" she said, a tinge of hurt in her voice._

" _When we first got together you said you wanted to have a family someday, then all of a sudden you don't?"_

 _Hallie sat in silence once more. Part of her wanted to tell Matt the real reason she didn't want kids [with him] but she thought better of it._

 _Matt let out a frustrated sigh. "And that's exactly why we're here."_

" _I don't know what to tell you, Matt. I'm not going to let you force me into wanting the same things you do just because you have this burning desire to be a father."_

 _Matt was taken back by her comments. "Force you? When have I ever forced you?"_

" _Damnit," she thought. She didn't mean for it to come out like that._

 _Over the course of their relationship, Hallie had come to learn that Matt had a pretty explosive temper. She did also. Sure, they'd come a long way, but they both knew how to push each other's buttons and there was no telling what kind of reaction you'd get from the other in any given situation._

 _Things would be calm one minute and the next there was a hole in the wall or broken glass on the floor. They'd never physically hurt one another but their outburst were pretty explosive._

 _Hallie braced herself for his reaction._

" _You know what, I don't want to fight with you. And I certainly don't want to FORCE you into something you clearly don't want. It's obvious your mind is made up, though, and I respect that. But so is mine. I'm going to spend the night at Shay and Sev's." He got up._

 _She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding._

" _Matt..."_

" _Hallie, I love you, I really do, but there's nothing left to talk about. It's not fair to either of us to stay in this relationship if we're not happy."_

 _Matt made his way to the door. "I'm on shift tomorrow. I'll be by in a couple days to start getting my stuff."_

 _With that, he was gone._

 _ ***End Flashback***_

"When's the last time you saw her?" asked Damien.

"Huh, what?" Matt quickly snapped out of his daze.

"Hallie. When was the last time you two saw each other?"

"Almost 3 years ago maybe?" Matt responded. "Not long after Gabby and I started dating."

Matt paused, images of their time together over the past few years flooding his memories. "…And eventually everything started to fall into place again for me. We didn't realize just how much we needed each other."

Matt reminisces back to the day Gabby walked up the driveway of Firehouse 51.

 _ ***Flashback to Gabby's arrival at Fifty-one***_

 _Matt and Severide had been smoking cigars on the rooftop of the firehouse._

" _Hi, I'm looking for Leslie Shay," Gabby said as she approached._

 _Just as they both got up to make their way down to the young, beautiful Latina, Shay came out._

" _You must be Gabriela Dawson."_

" _Oh, you can call me Gabby, or just Dawson. Whatever works," she said as she smiled and adjusted the duffel bag on her shoulder._

" _Good to meet you Dawson. I'm Leslie Shay. Everyone calls me Shay." She shook her hand. "Come inside, I'll introduce you to everyone."_

 _Casey and Severide eventually made their way down the ladder._

" _This is Casey, Lieutenant of Truck 61. And this is Severide, Lieutenant of Squad 3. Guys, meet Dawson."_

 _Gabby smiled as she shook their hands._

" _Welcome to Firehouse 51, Dawson," said Severide._

" _It's great to have you here," said Casey._

 _The two made their way inside, Matt's eyes still planted in their direction even after they were out of sight._

" _Don't tell me you have a thing for the new chick already, Casey. She's been here for like two seconds," said Severide._

 _He brushed off Severide's comments. Of course he didn't have a "thing" for her. Him and Hallie had just broken up a few months ago and he definitely wasn't ready to jump into another relationship. Besides, he didn't know anything about Dawson. Was she even single?_

 _The pair continued their conversation, his mind on the newest member of Firehouse 51._

 _ ***End flashback***_

"Gabby and I have built such an incredible life together over the last few years. We adopted Louie and now we're...we're happy." Matt had to stop himself from blurting out the news to Damien and Ben. Even though Gabby was nearly at the end of her first trimester, they hadn't told anyone beyond their close family that she was expecting.

"Life with Gabby is perfect; or as close to perfect as it can be," he finished.

* * *

 _ **Back at the apartment**_

"Damn, she won't stay still," said one intruder as he sat on the edge of the bed leaning into Gabby and trying to hold down her legs. His elbow digging into her stomach in the process.

"Seriously, how hard can it be to hold her down?" said a third intruder, appearing in the doorway of the bedroom. "Do you want her to wake up the whole building?" He said as he made his way further into the room.

The commotion was enough to wake someone, however; Louie. His bedroom was almost halfway across the apartment, but the noise startled him from his peaceful slumber.

He stood in the door looking on, not fully understanding what was happening. "Mama?"

The distraction caused the intruders to let their guard down for a brief moment and Gabby managed to bite one of them and yell out to her son. "Louie, go hide!"

Just as Louie turned to run, he was snatched up by one of the men.

"MAMA!" he screamed. He knew this situation was all wrong.

Gabby had never felt more helpless in her life.

All she could do is look at her son with pleading eyes and try to convey how much she loved him and how sorry she was for what was happening, even though she had no idea why these people were in their house.

"Alright, let's do what we came here to do so we can get the hell out of here!" yelled one of the intruders. He pulled a pocket knife, flipping the blade open with a sick grin.

Gabby's eyes were wide with fear.

"Scream again and I'll slit his throat," he said.

The man held the tip of the knife to Louie's throat, applying pressure. Louie continued to squirm and cry and his mom looked on.

Gabby begged for them to leave him alone. "Please! He's just a child."

The man continued applying pressure to Louie's neck when the young boy let out a strangled cry. The scream was enough to startle everyone in the room.

The man withdrew the knife and walked over to Gabby. "Your turn. Tie him up," he instructed, shoving Louie toward one of his accomplices.

After tying Louie up, the man got out his cellphone and began to capture the scene on video.

The intruder holding the knife cut the neck of the T-shirt Gabby was wearing and then took to ripping it the rest of the way down.

He ran the blade from her collarbone down her chest, applying more pressure as he moved down her body, drawing blood the further down he moved.

He withdrew the knife and hovered over her body, licking the trail of blood he'd just created.

Gabby began to feel sick to her stomach. _This can't be happening._ "Please don't do this. I'm pregnant," she pleaded, just above a whisper.

He stared at her stomach. Gabby flinched. It was at that point he realized the slight bump that was indeed there.

"Jesus," said one of the intruders as she walked into the room.

"He said to scare her not rape her. Are you cool with this?" she snapped at the other two accomplices in the room.

"What the hell are you doing in here? You're supposed to be the lookout."

"Relax, we're all clear. I came to see what the hell was taking so long," annoyance evident in her voice.

"Don't like it, don't watch," he said as he turned back to Gabby with a grin.

He parted her legs and began moving his hand up her thigh. Gabby began to cry again.

"Hey! I said we didn't come here for this!" She shoved him from on top of Gabby. He fell to the ground with a thud.

At this point, Louie had been tied up, his mouth taped. He continued to look on in horror.

The female intruder walked closer to the bed, looking Gabby in the eye this time.

"Are you pregnant?" Gabby looked at her with pleading eyes. Out of nowhere the woman slapped Gabby, her head lulling to the side. "You stupid bitch!" she yelled, slapping Gabby again with more force than the last.

She continued her assault, hitting and punching every and anywhere she could. She grabbed the knife, the blade digging into Gabby's skin. She continued to scream and cry, begging for her to stop.

Gabby slowly slipped into unconsciousness, unable to bear the pain as the beating continued.

* * *

When Gabby opened her eyes, there was a flashing light. The clock that sat on her nightstand was now on the floor. Her room had been trashed. She continued to slowly look around, memories of what happened rushing back to her.

Across the room she saw Louie's small figure on the floor. He was still and not making any noise.

"Louie, honey…can you hear me?" The boy didn't move.

Despite her excruciating pain, Gabby managed to slowly make her way across the room to her son's still form.

Her heart shattered into a million pieces at what she found.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave me a comment or review. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Until next time.


	3. Reliving a Nightmare

**Reliving a Nightmare**

"It was great catching up with you guys; we should try to do this more often," said Matt.

"I'm pretty sure we said that last time, buddy…four years ago to be exact," Damien responded playfully.

"I know, I know," replied Matt. "Things have just been..."

"...so crazy," Ben added. "We know. So, when do we get to meet this perfect family of yours?"

Matt blushed. "I want to plan a weekend home in a few months. Things are pretty hectic for us now, though; maybe in the spring? I've never shown Gabby where I grew up. Think you boys would be up for another reunion?"

"You just let us know when, bud," said Ben.

"I will," Matt replied. They exchanged their final goodbyes and Matt made the short drive to his hotel.

It was around 12 a.m. when Matt got to his room. " _Gabby and Louie are probably fast asleep by now_ ," he thought to himself. As he got ready for bed, he unlocked his phone and began scrolling through pictures on his camera roll. One photo in particular brought a heartfelt smile to his face.

 _ **Flashback to 5 weeks ago**_

 _It was around 9 p.m., Matt was just getting in from an Alderman meeting that ran later than expected. Thankfully it was one of his last. Between his full-time job with the CFD, his construction gigs on the side, his Alderman commitments and his family, it was all just too much. With an election just around the corner, Matt made the decision not to re-run._

 _The apartment was quiet. When he walked in, Gabby was laying on the couch, Louie sleeping peacefully on top of her with his thumb in his mouth. Matt couldn't help but snap a picture of the pair._

 _Gabby hadn't been feeling well for the past few weeks; she'd chalked her symptoms up to exhaustion and that pesky cold/flu that had been going around. Matt, knowing she'd had a bit of a rough day, scooped Louie out of her arms and took the little boy to his own bedroom. When he placed Louie into bed, he immediately rolled over on his side and went back to sleep. Matt came back out to the living room to find Gabby still asleep. "Poor thing must be so tired," he thought. She hadn't budged since he moved Louie. He knelt down in front of the couch and began to stroke her hair. "Gabby," he said softly. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. "You're home," she yawned. "Yeah, I'm home. Things ran a little later than expected. I'm sorry" he replied. "I'm here now, though. Let's get you in bed."_

" _Carry me," she pouted. She was so cute when she pouted. Matt scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. "How are you feeling, babe?" he asked. "A lot better than before," she replied. After setting her down on the bed, Matt changed into some sweats and a t-shirt before quickly brushing his teeth and climbing into bed next to Gabby. As he leaned over to switch off the lamp, he noticed something sitting on top of the nightstand. After leaning in to take a closer look, that's when he realized what it was. He picked up the white stick and turned to Gabby. "Is this…? Gabby, wide awake at this point, let out a soft chuckle. "What does it say, babe?" Looking back at the stick, he saw the words "pregnant" displayed in the tiny screen. Gabby sat up a little more and Matt turned fully towards her, tears brimming in both their eyes._

" _I want to go to Med and get an early scan done to see how far along I am and to make sure everything is fine. But I think this is part of the reason why I've been feeling so sick lately," she said. "Whatever you want, babe," said Matt._

 _No words were spoken between the two after that. They just held one another in this very intimate and special moment._

 _ **End flashback**_

As Matt continued scrolling through pictures, his phone died. He reached over to grab his charger and remembered he'd left it in his truck. Too tired to run outside, he placed his phone on the nightstand, rolled over and went to sleep.

Louie lay motionless on the floor; his empty eyes staring at the wall. It was almost like he had been under a hypnosis. "Louie?" said Gabby. No response. She gathered him in her arms and began to sooth him. Instantly, something inside of him clicked and he held onto his mother for dear life as he cried in fear. "It's ok. Mama's here," she said as she kissed him on the forehead repeatedly. "Help is on the way; help is on the way," she repeated as tears ran down her face.

Commotion in the apartment startled Gabby as she sat on the floor rocking a terrified Louie in her arms. "Gabby?!" It was Antonio. Unable to get a hold of Matt, she called her brother. "We're in here," Gabby said, barely above a whisper. Antonio entered the room, taking in the sight. Shortly after, two patrol officers and two paramedics arrived on scene springing into action immediately. Gabby had been pretty badly beaten, her clothing ripped. As one of the paramedics went to remove Louie from her grasp, he cried out as he clung to her tighter. "Hey buddy, we're here to help you and your mom. Do you think you can let us have a look at you?" Louie didn't respond. He just continued to cling onto his mother as if his life depended on it.

"Call Matt," she begged, as she clung to Louie. "He needs to…ahhhh," Gabby screeched as her hand went down to her stomach. She continued to move lower as the pain intensified. "Gabby? Gabby! Look at me," said Antonio. "Can you tell me where you're in pain?" asked one of the paramedics.

"I…I…ahhhh, it hurrrrtttts," she said as she clenched her teeth. Antonio scooped Louie form her grasp so the paramedics could examine her. "We need to get her to Med right now. Gabby can you stand? We want to get you onto the stretcher. As Gabby stood up, she felt a wetness drip down her leg. _Blood._ "LET'S MOVE," said the paramedics. Within minutes, they were out the door and headed to Med; Antonio and Louie by her side.

* * *

A loud ringing noise stirred Matt him from his peaceful sleep. He blindly felt around for his phone but remembered it was dead. He then reached over to the landline that was sitting on top of the nightstand. "Hello?" he answered, sleep evident in his voice. "Mr. Casey, sorry to bother you at this hour," said the clerk at the front desk. "I have the CPD on the line. They need to speak to you, it's urgent." Matt sprung up quickly, flicking the light from the lamp on. "Matt!" Antonio's voice rang through the phone. "I'm on my way to Chicago Med with Gabby and Louie. You need to meet me there as soon as you can." Matt jumped out of bed as fast as he could, pulling on his clothes.

He quickly ran out of the room and hopped in his truck. He plugged his phone into the charger and after a few moments it turned on. He dialed Gabby's number but instead of ringing it just went straight to her voicemail. " _Of course she won't answer,"_ he thought. _"Please be ok."_

 _ **Chicago Med**_

Paramedics whisked through the ED doors with an unconscious Gabby on a stretcher; Antonio and Louie not far behind. "Twenty-nine-year-old female, Gabriela Dawson; first trimester pregnancy. We're having trouble keeping her sats up. Victim was attacked in her home; possible fractured ribs, cramping, multiple cuts and bruising."

"Get her into trauma room 2, NOW! Dr. Hyman. Incoming," yelled the head nurse. They ran an IV to help deliver fluids and medication to Gabby's body. "Her sats are coming up," said one of the nurses. An emergency ultrasound was performed to try and pinpoint the pain and cramping Gabby was feeling and to make sure the baby was ok. "Gabriela, I'm going to apply some gel on your stomach so I can see how your baby is doing, ok?" As Gabby looked around the chaotic scene before her, she began to panic. "Louie!? LOUIE!" Antonio rushed to her side. "Hey, hey, it's ok. The nurses took Louie to be examined. He's ok." Gabby threw her head back slowly.

Moments later the sound of a strong heartbeat filled the room. "Baby has a strong heartbeat," said the doctor. Antonio breathed a sigh of relief. The doctor paused as he looked at the monitor. "…Dammit..." he continued to move the transducer around Gabby's stomach. "What is it? Antonio interrupted. "You see this?" the doctor pointed to the screen. "This sac contains a healthy 11-week fetus…and this…" he continued, "it appears the other embryo must have implanted inside her fallopian tube, which has now ruptured and is likely what's causing the pain and vaginal bleeding. Locations other than the uterus simply don't have enough space or the right tissue for the embryo to grow normally," said the doctor.

"What are you saying?" Antonio asked. "I'm saying, if we don't get her into surgery right now to stop the bleeding, it could be fatal for both her and the other developing fetus," said the doctor. Gabby was too stunned for words.

"Call the OB, right now," the doctor instructed. "Call the OR."

"I'm sorry, but we have to go," said the nurse. "I'm coming," Antonio demanded. "No you're not, detective," said the head nurse as Gabby was wheeled out of the room and toward the elevator. "You need to stay down here and let the doctors do their job. You can see her once she's out of surgery and we've run our tests." As they wheeled her into the elevator, Antonio called out to his sister. "I'll be right here, sis. I'm not going anywhere." Antonio grabbed the doctor's hand just before the elevator door closed. "Hey, you save my sister, do you hear me? Whatever it takes." Moments after, the doors closed and they were gone. Antonio punched the wall in frustration, bruising his knuckles in the process.

About an hour later, Matt showed up to the hospital, frantic and wanting answers. "My fiancé and son were brought here a little while ago, where are they?" he demanded. Before the nurse could answer, Matt heard his name. "Matt!" said Antonio. "Antonio! Where is she? Where's Louie? What the hell happened?" Antonio filled him in on everything he knew so far. The two waited for what felt like eternity before they were finally led to Gabby's room.

Gabby lay in the hospital bed, Louie tucked into her side. After Louie was examined by nurses and doctors, he was brought to Gabby's room. It wasn't standard practice, but given how hysterical he was, they made an exception. Nurses checked in periodically to make sure he was ok as he slept in bed next his mother. The shallow cut on his neck was dressed to avoid infection, but for the most part he was ok, just rattled. Tears blurred Matt's vision as he approached the bed. He ran his hands through Gabby's hair, something he always did. She was so still, and looked peaceful despite her injuries.

Her left eye was swollen; her right arm in a sling. Her body was covered in bruises. "I'm so sorry. I'm here, baby," said Matt as he kissed her forehead and held back tears. He turned to her brother, pain written all over his face. "Antonio…"

Antonio was seething with anger as he looked on. Whoever did this was going to pay. "I know," was all he said. "Matt, there's something you have to know." Just before Antonio could continue, Louie awoke from his sleep, opening his eyes slowly. "Dada?" he said softly. "I'm here, buddy," Matt said, pulling Louie into his arms. He saw the bandage wrap that was on Louie's neck and clung to his son, not wanting to let go. "Daddy's here, buddy," said Matt, as he comforted his son. As they sat in silence, there was a knock at the door.

"I'm Dr. Hyman, why don't we step outside so Gabriela can rest." Matt placed Louie back into the bed with Gabby and the little boy snuggled into her side once more. He and Antonio followed Dr. Hyman's lead into the hallway. "Matt," he introduced himself as he shook the doctor's hand. "Gabriela suffered a fair bit of injuries. Most of them seem to be surface, which we're thankful for." Matt cringed at the last part but he knew what the doctor meant. "The cuts and bruising on her body will eventually fade and her fractured ribs will heal. The concussion doesn't appear to have caused any serious injury to her brain which we're also thankful for. She got lucky, despite the complications…. with her pregnancy."

"What kind of complications?" Matt asked, confused. "When the paramedics brought her in, we discovered that one of the fetuses was implanted in her fallopian tube, causing it to rupture. Matt glanced back toward the room. "One of?" The doctor continued. "As a result, we had to perform an emergency surgery to stop the bleeding." I'm sorry," the doctor paused. "We did everything we could. Miraculously, Baby #1 survived in the womb despite the trauma of a surgical operation to remove the fetus in her fallopian tube."

"Does she know?" Matt asked. "She hasn't regained consciousness since the surgery," the doctor responded. "I was thinking that was something you might want to discuss when she wakes up. I can page the OB to come by a little later on to provide you and Gabriela with a proper medical explanation for what happened, maybe help answer some of the questions I'm sure you'll both have."

"What about Louie?" Matt asked. "After running some tests and dressing the very shallow cut on his neck, he seems to be fine. They've both been through quite an ordeal. It will take some time for them both to heal, physically and emotionally." Both Antonio and Matt could sense the hesitation in the doctor's voice. "What is it you're not telling me?" said Matt.

"The police, they need to get a statement from Miss. Dawson, and…."

"Ok, well clearly she's in no shape to provide one right now," said Matt as he cut him off. "Look at her." The three men glanced back toward the room. Gabby had regained consciousness at this point and was stroking Louie's hair as they both lay in the hospital bed. "She's awake," said Antonio. Matt and Antonio entered the room to find Gabby awake and alert.

"Matt," she said. She was still a little groggy from the meds. "Hi, baby. How are you feeling?" he asked. "Tired…sore," she sighed. "God, baby. I'm so glad you're ok," Matt responded. "You scared the hell out of me, little sis; out of all of us," said Antonio.

"Dr. Hyman," said the doctor as he stepped forward. "I remember from downstairs," Gabby replied. "How are the babies?" she asked. "Downstairs, you said I was carrying…twins. Matt did you hear?" A tiny smile formed on her face. "Yeah baby, I heard," said Matt. "Listen, I have to tell you something." Antonio stepped forward and placed a supportive hand on Matt's shoulder. Gabby, despite the pain, sat up in the bed a little, watching Matt and Antonio attentively. "Matt, what is it?"

"I will give you all some privacy," said the doctor. "I'll come back in a little while."

"The baby is ok," he paused and took a deep breath. "The other baby…the doctors, they did everything they could. They said the location of where it implanted caused a rupture which led to internal bleeding and complications…"

Gabby closed her eyes and slid her hand down to her stomach. Antonio, sensing how difficult this was for Matt, stepped in. "What happened to you…at the apartment had nothing to do with it. There was nothing that anyone could have done to prevent it Gabby," said Antonio. A sense of numbness came over her. She wanted to cry, scream, something, but she couldn't.

The room was silent as everyone tried to come to terms with what happened. _How could life be so unfair?_

* * *

About an hour later, Antonio stepped outside to make a call. He had to fill Voight in on what happened and let him know he wouldn't be in for work until later. Just before dialing the number, he heard a familiar voice. "Detective." It was Dr. Hyman. "I was just headed to the room. I wanted to talk to you. All of you, actually."

"Yeah? What is it?" asked Antonio.

"The CPD needs to get a statement from your sister about what happened. From a medical standpoint, we've done our job. Now it's time for the law to step in. I know that this whole ordeal has been difficult for her, but…" Antonio knew the doctor was right.

Matt tensed up as he stood in the doorway of the room. "Matt? What are you doing out here? Is something wrong with Gabby?" Antonio asked, peeking into the room.

"I was just headed downstairs to grab some coffee. I came to find you to see if you wanted anything. Antonio, why are they pushing so hard to get a statement from Gabby right away? You see the condition she's in. She's been through hell, and you want her to relive it so soon?" Matt was clearly thinking emotionally and not practically.

"Matt, it's just standard procedure when there's an attack of this nature," said Antonio. As a detective, he knew these types of cases all too well, unfortunately. He saw how bad the scene was when he got to the apartment. Gabby's ripped clothing, her state.

"So just talk to her, Antonio. _You_ talk to her. Ask her what she remembers …" Antonio cut him off. "It's not that simple, Matt. This has to be done by the book." As Matt, Antonio and the doctor continued their conversation, Severide came walking down the hallway. He had shown up to the hospital after receiving a frantic voicemail from Matt who had called him a after he got to Med. "Excuse me just one sec," said Matt as he walked towards his friend.

"Hey man, what's up? Sorry, I just got your message. Is Gabby ok" Where's Louie? What's going on?" Matt ran his fingers through his hair as Severide bombarded him with questions. "I don't know, Sev. We're still trying to piece everything together," he said in response."

"What do you need? Let me know," Severide responded. "I need you to take Louie…just until Gabby is discharged. He's been through a lot and I just want…" before Matt could finish he was cut off. "Done. I'll take him to my place," said Severide.

Matt re-entered the room and gently scooped Louie up from the bed and took him outside. Gabby hesitated at first. She didn't want Louie him to leave her side but she eventually let him go because she knew he would be in good hands with Severide.

"Thanks so much, man," said Matt as he handed Louie over to Severide. "Hey buddy, you're going to stay with uncle Sev for a bit. When mama is feeling a little better we're going to come and get you, ok?" The little boy simply nodded and rested his head on his uncle's shoulder. After Severide left with Louie, Matt rejoined Antonio and Dr. Hyman, who explained what needed to be done.

About 25 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Hi Miss Dawson," came a man's voice. Matt held onto Gabby's hand. Gabby recognized him. He was one of the officers from the apartment. "I just need you to answer a few questions about the attack," he said. "I'm not really up for it right now," she said. Antonio intervened, "Gabby. Hermana, sé que no quieres."

"I said no!" she responded, wiping tears from her eyes. Matt hated to see her so upset. "Antonio!" he replied, anger laced in his voice. "Miss. Dawson, we just want to piece together what happened to you and make sure we haven't missed anything. Gabby still hesitated. Antonio could sense how difficult this all was so he tried to reason with her as he knew how crucial getting her statement was. "I…I want to talk to Kim," Gabby replied. "Burgess?" Antonio asked. Gabby trusted her and felt comfortable around her. "Let me make a quick call," he said.

"Hank, it's me." Antonio explained the situation and filled his boss in on everything that happened. He'd hoped to convince him to let Intelligence take over the case so that he could see it through and catch the people who did this. He was the first person on scene, and this wasn't just any other case, this was family. "Ok, I'll tell her. Thanks." After clearing it with Voight, Antonio called Burgess and filled her in on everything he knew so far.

It was around 9:20 a.m. when Burgess arrived at Med. She stopped at the nurse's station before making her way up to the third floor where Gabby's room was located. After tapping on the door lightly, she entered the room. "Hey Gabby," she frowned. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "Really sore…tired…angry" she responded. "Do you think you're up to answer a few questions?" Gabby nodded.

"Ok, let's start from the beginning. Take your time." Her memory was a bit foggy from the concussion and the meds but she tried her best. Gabby took her through the entire evening from the night before. "After Louie and I got home from dinner," she continued I gave him a bath. Matt was there," she continued. A look of confusion brushed over Matt's face. It didn't go unnoticed by Gabby. She closed her eyes really tight and tried to remember the night. "No. I called him while I gave Louie a bath," she clarified. "After I said goodnight, I put Louie to bed and I then I got ready for bed also."

"When you and Louie got home from dinner, did you notice anything strange? Maybe someone hanging around the building that didn't belong?" Gabby thought back to the previous night. "I don't think so..." she replied. "What happened after that?" Burgess pressed on. "I remember waking up. Someone was covering my mouth, my legs, too. I tried to fight, but I just...they were too strong."

"How many?" she asked. "Three men. One of them…he cut my shirt and ran a knife down my chest. He got on top of me. He had this look in his eyes. I pleaded with him not to…not to rape me. I told them I was pregnant. There was a woman. She started hitting me all over for no reason. "Did you see their faces?" Burgess asked. "No. They had on ski masks. But I remember…her voice."

"What about her voice?" Kim asked. "It sounded familiar, like I'd heard it before," said Gabby. I lost consciousness after that. I don't know for how long. I just remember coming to and seeing Louie laying on the floor. That's when I called for help."

"When you regained consciousness, did you feel… _different_?" Burgess asked. "Different like how? I mean, I was in a lot of pain all over." Gabby didn't follow. Burgess' phone began to ring. "Give me a moment," she said as walked to the corner of the room to take the call. "Talk to me, Jay." Burgess spent the new few minutes on the phone. "Are you sure? Ok. Bag it." After hanging up with Jay, she resumed her line of questions.

"Gabby, based on the report from the paramedics that brought you in, you were brought to Med in a t-shirt only. That's the only piece of evidence/clothing that was collected. Do you remember if you were wearing anything else? Underwear maybe?" She hated that she had to ask this. "There's a possibility you may have been sexually assaulted during the attack."

"What? No," Gabby responded in denial. "Gabby," Burgess tried to reason with her. "You were unconscious. We found an open condom wrapper in your bedroom under the bed but no condom." Gabby felt as though she'd been kicked in the gut. Matt, too.

"I think you should let the nurse conduct a rape kit so we can be sure," said Burgess. "The CPD has let Intelligence take over the case, thanks to Antonio. We're going to do everything in our power to find the people that did this, but we need your help."

Gabby let her head drop back onto the pillow and put her hands over her face before nodding. "Are you sure baby? came Matt's response. "Yes," Gabby replied. She just wanted to get this over with. Shortly after, a nurse came to the room. "Are you ready Miss. Dawson?"

"Yes, but…" Burgess could sense Gabby's uncertainty. "Antonio and I are going to step out for a bit," she said. Antonio didn't want to leave his sister but he knew he had to. The detectives left the room and made their way out of the hospital. Burgess gave Antonio a knowing look. "I know," was all he said. They knew this had to be done by the book.

 _ **Back in the room**_

Matt kissed her on her temple. "Are you sure you want me to stay?" he asked. Gabby wiped her eyes and nodded. "I don't think I could get through this without you."

"Ok, I'm ready," said Gabby. The nurse went over the examination so that Gabby knew what to expect. She began by looking for any debris, hair or foreign objects on Gabby's body. Next, she collected fingernail samples from her left and right hands. She swabbed her mouth, took some saliva samples and collected dried secretions, mostly blood, from her body. Finally, she performed a genital swab. "Ok, the hard part is over. I just need to collect some blood samples and run some tests."

"What kind of tests? Matt asked. "We have to test for STDs and any possible infections," the nurse responded, apologetically. Matt breathed a sigh of relief and ran his hands through Gabby's hair when it was all over. "Ok, we're all done," said the nurse after a grueling 3.5 hours.

"When can we see the obstetrician?" Gabby asked. "I'll page someone for you," she replied. "Thanks," said Matt.

"Baby, I'm so proud of you," said Matt. He knew she'd been through hell in the last few hours. "You did great." Matt and Gabby sat in the hospital room in silence. "Matt, they took my ring…and Shay's necklace; the people who did this." The sadness was evident in Gabby's voice. Matt just held her. "We're going to get through this; together," he stated.


	4. The Broken Pieces

Back with another update. FINALLY! It was never my intention to take this long, so I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

On another note, I'm really heartbroken after watching the fall finale of Fire, and tbh I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to stick around and watch. Like, did Gabby mean nothing to Matt? I get that he has to move on, but the way he's acting it's as if he never gave a damn about their marriage. I hate how the writers have handled this whole situation. *sigh*

Anyway, that was my [very] brief rant. Onto Chapter four. Let me know your thoughts after reading :)

* * *

 **Chapter Four - The Broken Pieces**

"Is this really necessary?" Gabby huffed as she slowly swung her legs over the edge of the hospital bed.

"Sorry, babe, doctor's orders," said Matt, pushing the wheelchair as close to the bed as he could.

"Are you ready Gabriela?" the nurse asked.

"I am," she replied, wincing.

Matt and the nurse helped Gabby out of the bed and into the wheelchair. It had been nearly a week since the attack and Gabby was being discharged from the hospital. She had mixed emotions about going home, but was eager to finally be leaving the hospital. She was told to take it easy for the next little while and was ordered to remain on bedrest for at least two weeks, which Matt promised to make sure of. Her body had been through a lot and needed time to heal. They both thanked the team of doctors and nurses before leaving the hospital and making their way home.

When the pair arrived home, Matt unlocked the front door, his arm entwined with Gabby's as he led her inside the apartment. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something to eat?" he asked.

"No, I think I just want to take a bit of a rest until Kelly comes by with Louie," Gabby replied.

"Ok, why don't you head into the bedroom and I'll be there in just a sec to help you get settled," Matt told her.

Gabby stood in the doorway of their bedroom and looked around. The room was pristine. It was almost as if nothing happened; but something _did_ happen.

" _Hold her down!"_

" _Scream and I'll slit his throat."_

" _Can you tell me where you're in pain?"_

" _We need to get her to surgery now."_

" _There's nothing you or anyone could have done to prevent it. I'm very sorry."_

" _For all intents and purposes, there never was another baby."_

" _We'll get through this, together. I promise."_

All the awful memories from the past few days came rushing back to her at once as she stood paralyzed in the doorway. Matt approached her from behind and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said.

"I think I'll just lay on the couch for now," Gabby said, before shutting the bedroom door and making her way back out to the living room. "What time did Kelly say he would be bringing Louie home?" she asked.

"Around 4 p.m., which gives you about 2 hours to get some rest," Matt replied. Gabby went to lay down on the couch and Matt draped a blanket over her. "Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Just you," she said, lifting the blanket so he could join her on the couch.

Around 4:15 there was a knock at the door. Matt sprung up quickly, looking over to check on Gabby who was still fast asleep. He carefully got up and made his way to the door while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Hey, sorry, did I wake you? You said four o'clock was a good time…" Kelly began.

"No, it's fine. Gabby and I just wanted to get a little rest in before you brought Louie home. It's been a long few days…sleepless nights. We really appreciate you taking him. With everything that has happened, we just…" Before Matt could finish, Kelly cut him off.

"Like I said, it's no problem. I had some furlough and worked it out with Boden. Just glad I could help. Plus, we had fun didn't we Louie?" Kelly asked the little boy with a smile.

"Yeah, and Uncle Kelly take me to the Lego store," said Louie as he grinned from ear to ear.

"He did, did he?!" Matt asked. Kelly handed Louie over to Matt along with a small duffel bag. "And did you tell Uncle Kelly 'Thank you' for your news toys and for taking such good care of you?" his father asked.

"Thank you Uncle Kelly," said Louie.

"You're welcome, little man," Kelly smiled. "I can't wait to hang out with you again," he said, rubbing the top of his head before turning back to Matt. "Hey, listen…I'm going to get out of your hair. Tell Gabby I said….I hope she feels better soon." Kelly didn't really know what else to say.

"I will. Thanks again," said Matt before closing the door and making his way back into the apartment.

"Was that Kelly?" Gabby asked as she sat up in the couch, stretching her arms.

"Yeah, you just missed him," said Matt as he made his way back to the couch with Louie.

"Hi baby boy. C'mere. Mama could use a big hug," Gabby said as she slowly sat up. Louie walked into his mother's arms and held onto her tightly. Gabby breathed in his scent and cradled the back of his head. "I missed you, monster," she said, holding back tears.

"Miss you too, mama," said Louie, resting his head on her shoulder.

The rest of the afternoon/evening was relatively quiet; Matt making sure Gabby stayed off her feet, as per the doctor's orders. He knew he would have to step it up around the house for the next few weeks while Gabby recovered, which meant he'd have to talk to Boden about taking some additional time off work.

"Ok, big boy. All set for bed?" Matt had just finished giving Louie a bath and helping him into his pajamas.

Louie nodded. "Yeah, I sleep with you and mama."

With everything that happened, Matt knew there was no use fighting him on this one. He figured it would take a few weeks before the little boy felt comfortable enough to sleep in his own room again given what he'd been through. Besides, he knew that Gabby would want to be close to him during the night for the next little while; she barely made it through the last five days without Louie close by, so her maternal instincts were definitely in overdrive.

Against doctor's orders, Gabby walked around the apartment checking every window and door to make sure everything was locked. "Babe, what are you doing? The doctor said…" Matt watched as Gabby carefully inspected all the windows and doors.

"Yeah I know. I'm just…locking up," she responded.

"I already locked up. I even put on the alarm. C'mere," he said to her. She walked into his embrace and he held onto her tightly. "Let's get you into bed," he said as he kissed the top of her head and led her towards their bedroom. They climbed into bed, Louie nestled comfortably between them.

"Goodnight, buddy. Daddy and mommy love you," said Matt.

"Goodnight, dada. Goodnight mama," he replied, as he snuggled into his mother's side.

"Goodnight, baby," said Gabby.

After Matt and Louie had long fallen asleep, Gabby lay awake in bed, a million thoughts running through her mind as she reflected on the week's events.

* * *

 _Matt was sitting next to Gabby's hospital bed when there was a knock at the door._

" _Hi guys, is this a good time?" the woman asked as she stood in the doorway._

" _Dr. Black. Come in," said Gabby as she tried to sit up. "I didn't think I'd see you."_

" _I had some appointments at Med this morning, so I thought I'd stop by," she said._

 _Dr. Black was Gabby's OB/GYN. She was energetic, attentive and overall a very pleasant woman. She had her own private practice but also worked out of Med a couple days a week where she performed specialized surgeries and patient follow-ups. She was at the hospital that morning and asked the nurses at the front station to include Gabriela's name on her list appointments for the day after catching wind of what had happened._

" _How are you feeling?" she asked as she stepped further into the room._

" _I've been better," Gabby replied._

" _So, Gabriela, I know Dr. Hyman briefly filled you and Matt in on the surgery and I've also read through your file and had a look at your charts. Did you have any questions?"_

" _Lots, actually," Gabby said, solemnly._

 _Dr. Black went on to explain that Gabby had suffered an entopic pregnancy and what that meant. "I just want you to know that it's not your fault. There's nothing you or anyone else could have done to prevent it. I'm very sorry."_

" _Why didn't I feel anything? See anything?" Gabby asked._

" _Everyone is different," she explained. "Women can present signs of an ectopic pregnancy anywhere between 5 to 14 weeks. It's likely we would have caught it on your 12-week checkup, however, the outcome would have been the same._ _Once the egg is_ _fertilized, it stays in the fallopian tube for 3 or 4 days before it heads to the uterus. There it attaches to the lining and continues to grow until a baby is born. In your case, only one of the eggs correctly implanted in the lining of your uterus, whereas the other remained in your fallopian tube." She showed Gabby and Matt the sonogram photos that were taken pre-surgery. "In these cases, the pregnancy can't continue normally, and it requires emergency treatment." She paused. "_ _For all intents and purposes, there never was another baby." She let Gabby and Matt digest the information they had just been given._

" _Your baby is otherwise healthy, which is always a concern whenever such an invasive procedure is performed with a fetus in the uterus. You'll have to remain on bedrest for the next couple weeks. Your body has been through a lot," she said as she squeezed Gabby's hand. She wasn't just talking about the surgical procedure, which both Matt and Gabby picked up on._

" _What about after that. What will the rest of my pregnancy look like?" Gabby asked._

" _I'm optimistic. As I said, you'll need to rest for the next little while, so work is most definitely out of the question. And you'll probably need to remain on light-duty once you return, so no heavy lifting. I can provide a medical document which outlines everything," she told them. "I'd also like to schedule bi-weekly appointments for the next few months. Just to make sure everything is ok with baby."_

" _That would be great," said Matt. Even though it was a long way off, he had concerns about Gabby going back to work, whenever that was. This was definitely something they would have to discuss further._

" _Can we see our baby?" Gabby asked._

" _Of course. Let me see if someone can bring an available ultrasound machine in," said Dr. Black._

 _Shortly after, a nurse wheeled the ultrasound machine into the room._

" _Ok, Gabriela. Just going to put some gel on your stomach." Moments later, the sound of their baby's heartbeat filled the room._

 _This was bittersweet._

* * *

Gabby drifted off to sleep as she replayed memories of their baby's heartbeat.

It had been almost three weeks since the attack. Gabby and Matt were asked to stop by the 21st District to meet with Intelligence to talk about the case. Despite her brother's team leading the investigation, she felt very much in the dark as she hadn't received any updates. They were hopeful that today that would change. When they arrived at the District they were greeted by Antonio. "Hey sis," he said as he approached the pair, giving Gabby a hug. "Matt," He shook his hand. "Follow me," he said, leading them towards the stairs and making their way up to the bullpen. Gabby's heart skipped a beat when she saw photos of herself battered and bruised on the whiteboard. By now, most of her bruises had faded, however, the memories from that night would scar her for years to come. Matt squeezed her hand a little tighter when he felt her tense up. He wanted her to know that he was there with her and he wasn't going anywhere.

"You two can follow me this way," said Kim as she approached the pair with a folder in her hand and led them towards a private room. "How are you feeling, Gabby?" Kim asked as they made their way down the hallway.

"I have my good days and bad days to be completely honest. I'm getting there, though. Matt has been my rock," she said, rubbing his hand.

"I'm glad," she said. Kim's own sister had been a victim of a violent attack just over a year ago and she knew how important it was to have a strong support system.

"So, we got the SAK tested by the crime lab. Your brother…Antonio and Voight were able to pull some strings to get the results back sooner. We tested your clothing along with some of the evidence that was gathered from your apartment. There were no traces of semen found on either your clothing or your bedsheets. Based on the vaginal and anal swabs, there was no presence of semen or any indication that you had been sexually assaulted during the attack."

Kim watched as both Matt and Gabby sat and tried to process the information.

"Gabby, other than the physical assault, there's no evidence indicating that you were raped," said Kim.

Gabby remained silent, too in shock to offer up any sort of reaction or response.

Matt broke his silence. "But at the hospital you mentioned there was a condom wrapper and other evidence that led you to believe otherwise…?" It's not that he wasn't relieved to hear the news, but based on the violent nature of the attack, Gabby's statement and what they'd discovered at the apartment, the evidence pointed to a sexual assault. At least that's what they all thought.

 **" _Alright, let's get the hell out of here before someone calls the police," said the female intruder. "Do one last sweep of the apartment. Nothing tracing this back to us gets left behind, got it? I'm going to make sure the coast is clear for us to leave," she said before exiting the room. The two men left the room after her, while the third stayed behind._**

 **" _I'm just going to make sure we're all good in here," he called out to his accomplices._**

 ** _He turned to Gabby who lay unconscious on the bed. "Time to have some fun," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom, biting it open and discarding the wrapper on the ground. After slipping it on he opened Gabby's ripped shirt, exposing her body to him. He grinned as he got on top of her and slid her panties down. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle." Just as he was about to do the unthinkable, he was thrown off the bed and onto the ground._**

 **" _What the hell is wrong with you, man?" said one of the male intruders, angrily. "This wasn't part of the plan. None of this was," he added. "If the boss finds out you raped his girl we're all going to be six feet in the fucking ground." He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth._**

 **" _I'm sorry, his girl?" said the woman as she entered the room trying to figure out what all the commotion was about._**

 **" _I didn't mean it like that," the man stuttered._**

 **" _Forget it. We have to go. NOW!" the woman said. She snatched Gabby's necklace and ring before dragging her limp body out of the bed and onto the ground. The intruders left in a hurry, one of them pocketing Gabby's discarded underwear on the way out._**

"My guess is someone may have walked in before things escalated. We really can't know."

"There was a condom entangled in the bedsheets which the lab tested. No traces of semen or any other bodily fluids were found on it," said Kim.

"Oh my God," said Gabby finally breaking her silence as she buried her face in her hands and began to sob. "I wasn't raped?" Kim hugged Gabby, comforting the young paramedic who she considered a good friend.

"None of the evidence points to that. We had the lab test the condom wrapper to see if we could identify any finger prints. Teeth impressions found on the wrapper also led us to test for any dried samples saliva, but unfortunately we haven't gotten any hits so far. Both were inconclusive," said Kim.

"Ok, so what does this all mean?" Does that mean you won't be able to find out who did this?" Matt asked.

"No," said Kim. "It just means that we have to consider other possibilities. At least one of them is bound to slip up and make a mistake. We'll be ready and waiting. In the meantime, you have to trust that we will find the people who did this to you Gabby."

Intelligence was following other leads, but since the investigation was still ongoing, they weren't able to disclose too much information, no matter how close Gabby was. Kim squeezed Gabby's hand once more before escorting her and Matt out of the room and back to the bullpen.

* * *

 ** _Cook County Jail, Chicago Illinois_**

"Step through, ma'am," said the guard. The woman did as she was told and walked through the metal detector. "Ok, all clear. Once you sign in, go ahead and follow the posted signs to the waiting area. An officer will let you know when it's time to go in." She knew the drill; she had visited the jail many times. The woman gathered her belongings and signed in on the visitor log before making her way to the visitor waiting area.

"All personal belongings, including cell phones, purses, bags, keys, money and packages must be secured in the available lockers. Your visitor badge must be visible at all times. You are not to make physical contact with inmates. You are not to exchange contraband with inmates as it is a federal offence as specified in the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961. Anyone caught violating these rules will be escorted out. Does anyone have any questions? Ok, good," said the officer.

After a short time, the visitors were led to an open area with tables and seating. The woman sat down at the circular table and began to look around. A few moments later an olive-toned man entered the visiting area in an orange jumpsuit. He was average height with brown hair and hazel eyes.

"You look good," he said as he sat down at the table, smiling.

"Thanks," the woman replied, blushing.

The man looked around to make sure no one was listening and then gave the woman a knowing look.

The woman simply nodded, returning the smile. "You been laying low?" he asked.

"Of course, baby," she said in response. "But that's the last fucking time I do anything like that with those idiots," she said.

"What happened?" he asked as he leaned in closer.

"First of all…" she began as she looked around. "He wasn't even there. Her stupid boyfriend," she whispered. "Aside from that, between her kidscreaming bloody murder and nearly waking up the entire block, and Jarred trying to screw her, it wa –" before she could finish, she was cut off.

"What do you mean he wasn't there? I thought you said you'd been watching his pattern?"

"Yeah, we were," she said. "He just…he wasn't there."

"Wait a sec. A kid?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah, there was a little boy there. Looks like he could be around 3 -years-old or so."

"And what's this about Jarred?" he asked, looking around again to make sure no one was listening.

"Well, at first he was getting all touchy-feely with her," she began. "He cut open her shirt and got on top of her…Carlos recorded it, but that was before I got there." She could tell he was getting angry. "When I got to the room I screamed at Carolos and Mateo for standing by and watching. I didn't know how far they were willing to let him go…or even how far Jarred would have gone at that point. But I shoved him off her. Later…when I instructed everyone to do a final sweep he stayed back...in the bedroom. Mateo walked in on him about to rape her…again…this time while she was out cold. That's when me and Carlos came back in to see what the commotion was about. As much as I despise her, that was just fucked up. I mean, I'd always heard the rumours about what a pig Jarred was…just never thought they were true" she said.

"Unconscious? Are you out of your fucking mind? You were told to deal with her boyfriend and to scare her. What the fuck did you do?" he asked the woman.

"Like I said, he wasn't there. Besides, _I_ didn't do anything," she lied. _"_ The moment we were inside everything was already set in motion. How were we supposed to know he wouldn't be there? What are you going to do about Jarred?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "He's a fucking pig," she added.

"I'll deal with him," the inmate said, briefly looking away for a few moments. "How did she look?" he asked, after a period of silence. The female visitor was taken back by the question.

"What do you mean how did she look? What does it matter? Better yet, why do _you_ care?" she asked, a hint of attitude and jealously in her voice. "You know, she's the reason why you're in here locked up. Did you forget that?" she said angrily.

"Keep your fucking voice down. It ain't like that," he said. "It was just a harmless question. You know I only got eyes for you, right?" he said, trying to lay down the charm on her.

"PREGNANT," she said, plainly.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"That's how she looks. Pregnant. Pretty little pregnant bitch. I decorated her face a little, though. I don't know how pretty she looks now." She couldn't help but boast.

"I thought you said you didn't do anything? I can't have this coming back to me," he warned.

"I doubt it will. We were careful and they didn't see our faces. Anyway, it's done. You wanted us to put the fear in the little bitch and I think we did just that."

"Watch your mouth," he scolded. "I wanted you to rough up the son of a bitch she's screwing and maybe scare her a little in the process. THAT'S what I wanted," he said.

"Yeah, well, _he_ may not have been there, but I'd say we got the job down," she said nonchalantly. "I just have a question. Why now? After all this time?" she asked.

Before he could answer, their conversation was interrupted by the guard. "Time's up, inmates. Back to your cells."

"When are you coming back to visit?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I don't know. When I can…I guess," she said. Just as he was about to get up from the table, she slid a tiny object towards him. He quickly placed his hand over hers and slid it towards him. "Inmate! Hands off the table. Back to your cell," the guard yelled.

"Alright, I have to go. Thanks for coming by," he said before getting up.

The inmate got up from the table and was escorted back to his cell. When he got there, he removed the small object from his sock. It was a SIM card. Being locked up, he didn't have the luxury of switching burner phones every month like he did when he used to run the streets. They were way too hard to sneak into the jail and he didn't want to risk getting caught. To ease his paranoia, he made sure he switched his SIM card out frequently, to avoid any number being traced back to him. Rather, he'd demanded a new one be brought to him every other month. After checking the hallway to make sure the coast was clear, he got out the phone that was hidden within the wall of his cell and quickly swapped out the SIM before dialing a number.

"It's me. She just left…told me what down at the apartment. What's this I hear about Jarred?" When the man on the other end of the phone fell silent, he knew the woman had been telling the truth.

"Send it to me now," he said before closing the flip phone.

A few moments later he received a video message. It showed Jarred cutting the neck of Gabby's T-shirt and then ripping it the rest of the way down. He ran the blade from her collarbone down her chest, applying more pressure as he moved down her body, drawing blood the further down he moved. He withdrew the knife and hovered over her body, licking the trail of blood he'd just created _._ _"Please don't do this. I'm pregnant,"_ Gabby pleaded, just above a whisper. _"Jesus,"_ said the female intruder as she walked into the room. The video ended shortly after.

His blood was boiling at this point. "You're fucking dead," he muttered. He wanted to be upset that she had moved on and was starting another chapter in life with someone other than him, but he was disgusted with what he had just watched. And apparently, according to the woman who'd visited him, that wasn't even the worst of it.

Before putting his phone away, he made another quick call. "Let me know when it's done," he said.

He walked over to his bunk and pulled out a photograph from under his pillow, tracing his hand over the woman's face in the photograph. "I don't know what it is about you but you make me crazy, Gabriela." He analyzed the picture some more before sliding it back underneath his pillow.

" _What did you do to her? How did she look?"_ The woman replayed bits and pieces from their conversation in her head. She was so distracted that she forgot to sign out and return her visitor badge as she made her way toward the exit.

"Excuse me, miss. Excuse me," the guard said as the woman zoomed past him with her head down.

"Yes?" she asked, unsure as to why the guard had stopped her.

"Don't think you want to be walking around the streets of Chicago with that visitor badge on. I also need to sign out before you leave," he told her.

"Oh…yeah. Of course. Sorry," she said. The woman quickly signed the visitor's log and handed over her badge before turning to leave. "Marcella Diaz," said the guard, reading her name on the page. A pretty name for a pretty girl," he smiled.

"Thanks," she replied as she turned to walk away.

"Better watch yourself. That's Perez's girl. Come's to visit him every month," said another guard.

"Joe Perez?" he asked.

"Yup," said his co-worker. "Real crazy son of a bitch, that guy."

"What is it about bad boys that pretty women love so much?" he shook his head as he watched the woman exit the prison from a distance.

* * *

Matt was making his way through the back door with a handful of groceries when his phone started buzzing in his pocket. _"Whoever that is will have to leave a message,"_ he thought. He was just getting home from shift and was anxious to spend some quality time with his family. It had been a month since the attack; Gabby was now 15 weeks along and feeling more and more energized every day. Although she still wasn't able to join her partner back on Ambo just yet, she was enjoying all the time she got to spend with Louie.

Matt quietly made his way into the living room to find Gabby sitting on the couch with Louie, one hand draped over her growing bump. "And this is your Auntie Leslie. She's in heaven watching over all of us," she said as she pointed to the photograph in the album.

"Just like papa and bela?" the little boy asked?

"Yeah, baby. Just like papa and bisabuela," said Gabby. Gabby's grandparents meant the world to her; they were a big part of her and Antonio's lives growing up. She'd always hoped that one day her future kids would get the chance to know them, but unfortunately they passed away before that ever happened; still, she made sure she shared lots of stories and pictures of them with Louie every chance she got, and she couldn't wait to do the same with the new baby.

Gabby looked up to see Matt leaning against the wall adjoining the kitchen and living room area with his arms folded. She was so caught up, she hadn't even heard him come home.

"You're home," Gabby said, her face lighting up.

"How are you feeling, babe?" Matt asked, as he approached the couch, kissing her on the cheek.

"Good. Really good," she smiled.

"Taking a trip down memory lane I see?" he said.

"Yeah," she said as she turned back to the photo album and traced over a picture of her and Shay together.

"Hey, listen. I'm going to wash up and then make us some breakfast. Does that sound good, bud?" Matt said lifting Louie into his arms.

"Babe, you just did a 24-hour shift. Let me make breakfast," she said to him.

"You sure?" he asked.

"I'm sure. Go," she said.

Matt made his way to the bedroom to shower and get changed while Gabby headed to the kitchen, leaving Louie in the living room to play.

Gabby started to unpack the groceries Matt brought home so she could begin to make breakfast for her boys. "Ok, Louie, what do you want for breakfast?" she asked. By this time, the little boy had turned his attention to the games on his iPad and was in his own little world.

"Eggs and bacon it is," she said to herself as she got out the pans. Matt's phone started buzzing again as she prepared breakfast. He had dropped it on the counter on his way in, too focused on heading to the living room to see Gabby and Louie. "Babe, your phone," she called out to him.

"Can you see who it is?"

By the time she got to it the person had already hung up. "Hmm. Unknown number," she shrugged.

Gabby was just about finished in the kitchen before she called out to Matt again.

"Babe, food's ready," she said, as she set the plates on the table.

"Be there in a minute," he said.

"Louie, time for breakfast," she said.

The two settled at the table and began eating. "Forgot the juice," said Gabby, before getting up to grab the glass jug out of the fridge. Just as she was about to make her way back to the table, Matt's phone started buzzing on the counter again. She picked it up and unlocked it as she made her way back to the table.

Matt sat down just as she was coming back to the table with the juice. "Is it good, bud?" he asked, looking over at Louie.

The little boy shoved a spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth before he looked up and nodded at his father with a smile. His smile quickly faded as the sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the apartment.

Matt looked up to see Gabby looking down at his phone; terror plastered all over her face.


End file.
